When baseball player Johnny Damon signed a contract to play for the Detroit Tigers, his wife voiced concerns about the city not being cosmopolitan enough. This open letter to Mrs. Damon argues that the city has more going for it than many assume.
The letter was written by Sean Mann, founder of the Let's Save Michigan campaign and an ardent supporter of Detroit's recovery. In it, he concede that the city does have some problems, but also highlights some of the city's more cosmopolitan attractions.
"Rumor has it you would have preferred your husband playing in Chicago. That's a story we are too familiar with here in Michigan. In fact, several of our universities have their largest alumni chapters in the Windy City. A lot of people attribute this to a lack of jobs in the area but in fact, of the 46 percent of college graduates that are leaving the state within a year of graduation, roughly two-thirds of them are choosing where they want to live before they decide to look for a job. They choose to live in cities that offer a certain metropolitan lifestyle that they don't feel they can get in Michigan.
It's what has been referred to as the "talented dividend" and it doesn't just apply to the skill of a starting line-up, it also deals with the talented team that any company competing in a global marketplace needs in order to survive.
So as you can see, we need to develop a greater appreciation of the importance of quality of place here in Michigan."
FULL STORY: An open letter to Tiger Johnny Damon's wife: Detroit's got class
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